Goodbye to Sicily

This may be my final blog post about the joys and frustrations of living in Sicily. It will definitely be the final one for awhile. However, don't give up on me. I may be back to pack out and have a couple of stories from that. Without getting too maudlin, I want to let you know I've been diagnosed with breast cancer and am leaving immediately for the States for surgery and treatment.

Before I go, I want to share a few photos of a place we almost could call our second home. The Saturday outdoor market in Misterbianco. Being the sentimental person I am, I couldn't leave without saying good-bye to some of the vendors we've come to consider friends. Bob took pictures of me with them so here they are with a few of just the market, too.

When we first found the market we bought several things from this couple. The sets of curtains for each of the huge window/doors in the house were only about 20 dollars including hardware. I would love to buy a bunch more to bring home but then, what would I do with them. They would only fit on patio doors and who, besides us while we're here, has four sets in their house?

We've bought a few other things there but mostly just stop to chat every time we are at the market. They are really nice people. Wanted our email address to write us.

These are the people we have bought yarn from . The husband looks like he would be tough, mean, disagreeable. But he's a real sweetie. I never understand a word he says because he speaks softly and in a Sicilian dialect that I don't know. But, he is gentle and precious and I could listen to that soft voice for hours.

I think it would put me to sleep. Usually he speaks and if it's important, she translates---into Italian. They did tell me not long ago that her brother left for America about ten years ago. He went to Canada, Toronto, and they haven't heard from him for five years. They have tried everything within their limited means. (Every Sicilian has a story about relatives in America)

This final family may be my favorite. We buy our ricotta (in the winter) and olives from them. The wife always makes sure she's the one who waits on me (I just thought, maybe she's the only one who understands my Italian). I think they must do a lot of the preserving or making of things at their house because they often show me something for sale and tell me they have made it. I know they have the best sun dried tomatoes I've ever found and they dry them themselves.

She also makes a candy-type snack from prickly pears off the cactus that grows everywhere here that is pretty good (delicious if one grew up with it). They sell all kinds of cheeses, meats, nuts, olives, tomatoes, figs, and it's always a pleasure to see this family.

This last friend photo is the woman who, with her husband, owns the little Tavola Calda (literally hot table) that we love in Misterbianco. The food is good and fresh but the owners are so gracious and friendly that we would like it even if it wasn't so good. Her family doesn't have an American story. Theirs is German. In the fifties, when there was "famine in the land" (no kidding, Sicily had famine) many families moved to either America or Australia. Her family went to Germany. So, she still has relatives there.

The final photos are of the market aisles. It's a cacophony of people talking, laughing, buying, selling, visiting and I will never forget this, my favorite place in Sicily. I'm sorry there are no photos of Bob among this set, he was the one taking the pictures. He's a pretty good photographer and if I want them to turn out good, I always ask him.

And so, my faithful friends and readers, thank you for sharing our adventures in Italy for the past two and a half years. For laughing with us and being amazed at this wonderful place. For enjoying through us the graciousness of it's people and for staying a part of our lives. We are now off to a new adventure.

If you would like to get in touch with us, please send an email to fletcher_italy@yahoo.com . We'll be looking forward to hearing from you.